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On the heels of one of the deadliest summers of climate-related weather disasters affecting countries all over the world, a gathering of global leaders on Tuesday launched the new Global Commission on Adaptation to catalyse a global movement to bring scale and speed to climate adaptation solutions.

The Global Commission on Adaptation is led by Ban Ki-moon, the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations; Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; and Kristalina Georgieva, CEO, World Bank.

It includes 17 convening countries and 28 commissioners, including the leaders, representing all regions of the globe and all sectors of development and industry.

Adaptation is about managing the risks associated with climate change -- from floods and droughts to sea level rise and storms.

The work of the commission will elevate the visibility and political importance of climate adaptation and encourage bold solutions like smarter investments, new technologies and better planning to become more resilient to climate-related threats.

"Without urgent adaptation action, we risk undermining food, energy and water security for decades to come. Continued economic growth and reductions in global poverty are possible despite these daunting challenges, but only if societies invest much more in adaptation. The costs of adapting are less than the cost of doing business as usual. And the benefits many times larger," said Ban Ki-moon.

"We are at a moment of high risk and great promise. We need policies to help vulnerable populations adapt and we need to ensure that governments and other stakeholders are supporting innovation and helping deliver those breakthroughs to the people and places that need them most," said Bill Gates.

The leaders of these countries are committed to working together to advance the work of the commission. These countries include Argentina, Bangladesh, Canada, China, India, the Netherlands and Britain.